Andrew Carnegie Accomplishments

Andrew Carnegie was actually born in Scotland. However, when economic depression occurred in the year 1848, the Carnegie family relocated to the US. Andrew’s father was a handloom weaver and decided to shift to Allegheny in Pennsylvania where a sizeable Scottish population was present. On arriving to the US, Andrew immediately started working in a cotton factory, but did not discontinue his education. He used to go to a night school. Andrew Carnegie had a keen sense of observation and excellent business acumen. These characteristics helped him to achieve success.

At the age of fourteen, Andrew began working at the Pittsburgh Telegraph Office. It was during this period that Thomas Scott, who was a superintendent at the Pennsylvania Railroad, noticed him. He hired Andrew to become his assistant. When the Civil War broke out, Scott ended up becoming the Assistant Secretary of War, and this prompted Andrew to relocate to Washington along with Scott. Once the war finished, Andrew was given Scott’s position in the railroad company. During this time, Andrew made many business investments that reaped him good returns. He also invested in Keystone Bridge Company and ended up becoming a 1/5th shareholder of the company.

As a part of his job with the railroad company, Andrew used to visit the UK quite often. He saw that thought iron was still popular, it would soon be overtaken by steel. So, he resigned from the railroad company and set up his own steel manufacturing company along with other partners.

It is because of Andrew Carnegie that steel could be produced at a faster and more affordable rate in the US. He revolutionized steel production all over the globe and went on to become the largest steel manufacturer in the world.

In the year 1901, Andrew sold his company to J. P. Morgan who had created the US Steel Corporation and thereafter he concentrated just on philanthropy. He was responsible for building nearly three thousand libraries in the US as well as a few hundred in the UK. He also founded three research institutes in Pittsburgh and Washington. Andrew was a firm believer of higher education and this prompted him to create the Carnegie Institute of Technology, which is better known as the Carnegie Mello University today. He was also instrumental in starting the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Andrew also wanted world peace to become an important agenda for governments, so he set an endowment fund to promote international peace.

Andrew breathed his last in the year 1919. It is claimed that by the time he died, he ended up giving up nearly ninety percent of his wealth for various philanthropic activities.

Andrew Carnegie was a renowned industrialist and philanthropist. His is a brief insight into his life. He was born in the city of Dunfermline located in Scotland on 25 November 1835. He did not receive any formal education, but his family inculcated a love for learning and books. His father was a handloom weaver. More..